In dental hygiene, it has been found desirable to remove particles of food that may be trapped in the crevices between adjacent teeth. It is well known to use a length of string, commonly called dental floss, to physically remove these particles by passing the string through the crevices of the teeth. The original or normal floss is essentially of a small thin constant diameter. As such, it has been found that this type of floss, that is supplied in a package and is of long continuous length and is cut off by the user at whatever length he may desire, is not capable of filling the larger crevices between teeth that occur naturally in some people and also when there are dentures involved. Thus, while the floss removes some of the particles, there is no assurance that it will essentially and completely fill and clean all of the crevices found in all teeth, to physically remove all the particles in the crevices and rub against and abrase the surface of the teeth defining all the cavities between the teeth.
The following art has been found to be related to the field of the present invention but in no way do any of the herein cited references anticipates or even suggest the novel advance in the field that the present invention makes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,351 issued to Thornton on Sep. 24, 1974 entitled Interdental Tooth Cleaner and Method for Making Same discloses a continuous length of interdental tooth cleaner consisting of textured yarn that is composed of deformed filaments that are covered with a hardened resin to stiffen them and in which the yarn is processed to increase its normal bulkiness. This is not related to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,824 issued to Thornton on Jul. 29, 1975 entitled Teeth Cleaning discloses a teeth cleaning floss that is to be passed through a crevice between adjacent teeth for dislodging particles therein consisting of a plurality of elongated filaments having a string portion at on end in which the filaments are parallel and closely packed and a spongy brush portion of larger diameter caused by the textured filaments being randomly distorted. There is nothing in this disclosure to teach the novel floss of the present invention, where there is herein disclosed a floss that has one or more different and larger diameter randomly distorted textured filaments with normal size floss filaments at either end of said larger diameter, said combination being repeated in a continuous length of filaments which is pre-marked for cutting and said continuous length being provided in a small firm-boxed package with means for cutting said pre-marked floss for individual use and allowing the remainder of the floss segments to remain clean and in order.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,727 issued to Thornton on Feb. 22, 1977 entitled Interproximal Space Tooth Cleaner discloses a variable diameter tooth cleaner formed by a plurality of elongated filaments to have a brush portion and a string portion with the string portion having two parts and with the brush portion being placed between the two parts. There is no teaching of a pre-marked continuous length of alternating normal filaments and one or more larger diameter textured filaments that are pre-marked and packaged for cutting and individual use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,538 issued to Thornton on Mar. 6, 1979 entitled Different Stiffness Continuous Length Teeth Cleaner discloses a continuous length of interproximal space tooth cleaner consisting of textured yarn that is composed of deformed filaments through its complete length with a hardened covering being applied on selected extents thereof without applying an elongating force to the extents. There is no disclosure of alternating normal filaments and textured filaments of one or more greater diameters that are pre-marked for cutting and individual use. U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,297 issued to Thornton on Jul. 7, 1981 entitled Method of Forming Dental Floss with String and Brush Portions discloses only a method of preparing floss with alternating string and brush of continuous length, as does U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,142,538; 3,896,824 and 3,837,351. The present invention does not relate to the method of making the floss; it may be manufactured by any of the above or any other process. The present invention is for a continuous filament length with alternating filament string and one or more filament of greater diameter that is pre-marked and structurally packaged to insure cleanliness, order and pre-marking for cutting and individual use.